The Quiet Power of Patience
I’m sure you’ve heard the old fable about the tortoise and the hare— the slow and steady tortoise wins the race, right? Or how about the old adage that patience is a virtue? Why then is it often the most overlooked quality in our fast-paced world? Maybe because the technological age has seemingly spurred an epidemic of impatience!
These days, it feels as if patience has become a characteristic embodied only by senior citizens. Is it because they’re slow-moving and not going anywhere fast, or is it that they’ve reached a stage in life where they’re waiting on the pearly gates, thus forced to be patient? Perhaps it’s a wisdom they’ve earned through decades of experiences, where they’ve learned that most things worth having don’t happen overnight.
As kids, it’s hard to be patient because we’re so full of joie de vivre and want to experience everything at once. For the young, time is an elusive concept, and the idea of waiting for anything doesn’t seem appealing. Ironically, as parents, we have even less patience, though we’re technically adults. The chaos of daily life seems to strip away any calm, leaving us more frazzled and hurried than we’d like.
Part of the problem is that we live in an age where instant gratification has become the norm. Lightning-speed communication via the internet or cell phones and next-day delivery have trained us to expect everything now. But what does fast really get us? Certainly, it increases stress, leaves us less emotionally balanced, and often reduces our ability to think critically.
We may yearn for a particular outcome, but ultimately, it’s not always within our control. Whatever will happen will happen in due course. By cultivating patience, we allow ourselves to release that control, trust the process, and reduce stress. We also create the space for better decision-making and a deeper sense of wisdom.
Consider the growth of a tree. It takes years for its roots to settle, for its trunk to strengthen, and for its branches to spread toward the sky. The tree doesn’t rush through its stages of growth—it takes time to establish itself, to weather storms, and to become resilient. In the same way, by embracing patience, we allow ourselves to grow slowly but steadily, creating a foundation of inner peace and long-term success.
In the end, patience isn’t just about waiting; it’s about enduring with grace. It’s the quiet power that helps us navigate life with calm, helping us build resilience, wisdom, and meaningful experiences along the way.
